§ Mr. Pymasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what has been the total number of calves slaughtered since 28th February to the latest available date; and how this figure compares with that for the same period in 1973;
(2) if he will publish figures comparing calf slaughtering rates for each week since 28th February 1973 and 1974 up to
CALF SLAUGHTERINGS 1973 1974 ('000 head) Percentage Difference 1974 week ending 2nd March … … … … … 3.1 5.3 (+70.1) 9th March … … … … … 3.4 6.1 (+79.4) 16th March … … … … … 3.4 7.4 ( + 117.6) 23rd March … … … … … 3.1 7.5 (+141.9) 30th March … … … … … 3.2 6.6 ( + 106.2) 6th April … … … … … 2.6 6.2 (+138.5) 13th April … … … … … 3.1 6.1 (+96.8) 20th April … … … … … 2.6 4.9 (+88.5) 27th April … … … … … 2.1 6.5 (+209.5) 4th May … … … … … 2.3 5.2 (+126.1) 11th May … … … … … 1.9 5.3 (+178.9) 18th May … … … … … 1.8 5.1* (+183.3) 25th May … … … … … 1.5 4.4 (+193.3) 1st June … … … … … 1.7 3.5 (+105.9) 8th June … … … … … 1.5 5.0 (+233.3) Total … … … … … 37.3 85.1 (+128.1) * Because of the industrial dispute in Northern Ireland, the Northern Ireland element of the United Kingdom figures had to be estimated. Source: MAFF. United Kingdom Weekly Slaughtering Statistics.